Joint pain, after treatment.

[garrygee]

Fifteen weeks post triple treatment for hep C with incivek I am having terrible joint pains.  A friend that started the same day I did and took the same drugs is having a similar experience.  Could it be from the treatment?  The pain is worse  at night when I try to sleep.  Celebrex hasn't helped.

[gibsongal]

crossing my fingers for you..on getting great lab results next week garry!

[garrygee]

I found out yesterday that the pain in my shoulders, arms, hands and my neck stiffness is probably due to bulging discs my C4-5 and C5-6 areas of my neck.  Sleeping pills have made my life a lot better.  It's tough when you can't sleep.  It's also a relief that something is wrong that might get better.  At least it has a name.  Next Wednesday I take my 24 wk post EOT labs (on the 19th of Mar)  I'm more confident now that I know that I don't have some weird autoimmune thing going on to confuse the whole issue.  SVR is all I want.  In a 48 wk course of treatment I missed 2 ribavirin.  I worry about that and everything else that could cause me problems.  If not SVR then what?  I'm 68 years old and don't think I have another treatment in me.
Garry

[notsoeasy]

"If I'd have know I would live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

Who wouldn't have? :-)

I just wanted to point out that that there are other explanations and blaming treatment only in unfair.
Best of luck with the rheumatologist, I think is a good idea too.

L

[rockymoe]

What brand is it?

[pooh55811]

II just want to add that I started taking a very good formulation of Curcumin (Tumrmeric) from Life Extensions in August. It helped a great deal with my joint pain and aches. Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory. Curcumin is difficult to absorb from the intestinal tract so one has to get a good formulation from a reputable company. The first brand I was using was not that good and did not help much at all. The formulation I have now helps a lot.

[rockymoe]

I have done 8 treatments and I have terrible joint pain. My feet and ankles kill me as well as my back and hips. On cold snowy or rainy days make it worse. It's not arthritis either it is from treatment and I guess you just have to learn to live it. alive gel caps work somewhat!

[pooh55811]

I agree that seeing a Rheumatologist is a good idea. It is where I would start.

I waited until about 8 months after treatment to ask for a referral to a Rheumatologist. I wanted to see which side effects and symptoms disappeared and which did not. After 8 months, everything was fine except for the skin issues and the joint pain and aches. So I asked for a referral.

I saw the Rhuematologist about 10.5 months after EOT. She ran a truckload of tests and that is no exaggeration. Most were negative but the ANA and the SS-A (for Sjogren's) were positive. I was diagnosed with Primary Sjogrens Disease. I have had it for decades, long before I ever treated, but none of my previous doctors ever put the symptoms together and never tested me for it. My Rheumatologist feels that the Hepatitis C virus triggered the Sjogrens.

Hopefully you will see a good Rheumatologist who will test you for everything. If they only run a few tests they could easily miss a disease.

Here is a list of the tests my Rheumatologist ordered:

ANA
Jo-1 Antibody
Aldolase
Cardiolipin AB (IGG, IGM)
Cardiolipin ABY (IGG, IGM)
Cardiolipin ABG (IGG)
DRVVT Screen
Lupus Anticoagulant
Lupus Panel
Histone Antibody IGG
Thyroglobin and Antibodies
Thyroid Peridoxase TPO AB
Thyroid Peridoxase and Thyroglobulin Antibodies
Thyroid Peridoxase Antibody
B2 Glyco-Protein I  IGG
Beta 2 Glyco-Proteine AB, IGG, IGM
Partial Thromboplastin Time
Prothrombin Time
Urine Macroscopic
Urine Chemistry
Rheumatoid Factor
ESR
CRP Inflammation
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
Vit D 25 Hydroxy
CK Total
Complement 3
Complement 4
Cryglobulin Quantitative
Cyclic Citrallinated Peptide
DNA (DS) Antibody
Mnith/RNP Antibodies
Sjogren's Antibody SS-A
Sjogren's Antibody SS-B
Protein Electrophoresis
Quantiferon TB Gold
FTA - ABS
Anti-neutrophil Cytoplasmic ABY IGG

Best of luck. I hope you get some answers.

[garrygee]

Thanks, notsoeasy, I was 68 this year and as the old joke goes, "If I'd have know I would live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."
Garry

[garrygee]

I have an appointment 26 Feb and will get blood tests or get referred to a rheumatologist.  My primary doc sent me to physical therapy.  It hasn't hurt but it hasn't helped either.  It's the lack of sleep that's killing me.  I'm well during the day, but I lay down and go to sleep exhausted at night and two hours later my shoulders, hands and neck are killing me.  With dyphenhydramine (benadryl, in the states) I can usually get back to sleep after a while, but that makes me feel druggy in the morning.  Thanks to all for the comments.  If I get some answers I'll post again.

[notsoeasy]

I guess beside tx side effects, beside decades (for some) of hep c damage -cartilage is also affected-, we are NOT getting younger :-)

Cheers

[nzkiwilife]

I think its probably part of the process of the drugs leaving your body.  I also had weird random joint pings and pangs of pain. Things have settled down now though I am still not back to normal. It seems like as time goes on,  I get better and better.  It's now 7 months post EOT. Adding to the list of supplementss that Diana mentioned,  I am also taking magnesium and zinc.
Wishing you all the best.

[MeWithC]

I had it from interferon....it took about ten months to get back to normal for me....

[cheflady]

Hiya my hubby 9mth post tx and his joint pains are getting worse then ever doc as just put him on lyrica 3 days ago and at least he is getting more than a few hours kip at night good luck i hope it improves soon.Jules

[kirk8]

Yah, I think it probably took a little more than 6 months for me to get back to normal too.  I said 6 because they tell you 6, but I think that's more of the rule of thumb for cells going back to normal.  Joints are a little more complex.

[his3707]

I did also.  At times I felt as though my hip joints would pop out of their sockets.  It is much better now. But it took me over a year. I really am just getting back to all normal.  I will be 2 year post treatment in April...  

[kirk8]

I had joint pain during and after treatment.  It "should" go away within 6 months after treatment.  It did for me.